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4/20/11

Last week I came home, and there was a box waiting for me by my door. It was full of gorgeous white and red endives from Discover Endives. I've been a fan of endives, but if you've never heard of them or seen them in your store, here's a little description from the website:

WHAT IS ENDIVE?

Endive is a member of the chicory family, which includes radicchio, escarole and curly endive. It is often called the queen of vegetables and is prized the world over.It has a crisp texture and a sweet, nutty flavor with a pleasantly mild bitterness — great served raw or cooked.

So Special...It's Grown TwiceEndive is one of the most difficult vegetables in the world to grow, requiring a two-step process before it is ready to be enjoyed.

The first growth takes about 150 days in the field, where the chicory plant grows from seed into a deep root. Tops of the leafy plant are then cut off, roots dug up, and placed in cold storage, where they enter a dormancy period.

As demand necessitates, roots are removed from cold storage for their second growth, which takes 20 to 28 days in dark, cool, and humid forcing rooms, similar to mushroom growing. Thus, endives are available year-round.

I've purchased endives multiple times at my grocery store and used them as vessels to hold fun ingredients such as beets, grapefruit and blue cheese. For some reason, I'm not a fan of cooked endives. So this time around with a large box of endives I made several salads, gave some to my friend Cindy, and then decided to come up with a few fun ideas to share with you.

dipping sauce
1 part hoisin sauce
1 part peanut butter (I used the one with nuts)
Kikkoman Ponzu soy sauce to taste (Thank you, Foodbuzz!)
fresh cilantro, chopped
enough water to thin the sauce to the consistency you like

Yum! What a simple recipe with beautiful pops of color! I basically use endives to dip in things, in place of chips. It also makes for a great appetizer when entertaining because it makes for a nice display.

I like Endives. Although I had never eaten them until I met my husband. He used to prepare little Hors d'oeuvres and appetizers all the time when we were dating. I loved it and tried several new things. (I'll have to remind him of those days)Anyway, he would put Goat cheese in the center and serve them along side olives, pineapple and other cheses.I like the idea of the dip. And, I love the colorful combination of your "Spring Rolls"!!

Yum, I love endives! I like to use them in place of tortillas for taco filling, or to scoop hummus. Last night I used the leaves of one in place of a bun around a veggie burger! They're sturdy and delicious -- just the right amount of peppery snap. I'll have to try your spring rolls!

We were in The Netherlands and Belgium just last week and they sell endives in a bag, just like you would buy lettuce in a bag here in the States. I love whipping up a garlicky, anchovy dressing to go with my chicory family members. I'd have never thought to do this with the leaves though. Love it.